Vent tube for fuel tanks



July 11, 1939.- G, w, E'MMER 2,165,357

VENT TUBE FOR FUEL TANKS Fil-ed Oct. 14, 1938 17 554:5 g, 3/ l 23 x 7 l25 II J3 ls l INVENTOR. George (10. Emmert ATTORNEYS Patented July 11,1939 I a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENT TUBE Fon FUEL TANKS George w.Emmett, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Application October 14, 1938, Serial No.235,049

' 2 Claims. (01. 220-86) This invention relates to a device for ventinging any objectionable noises even though it is liquid fuel tanks, andparticularly liquid fuel secured only at one end.

tanks used on automotive vehicles. A device for carrying out theinvention is shown Automotive vehicles of the present day, and intheaccompanying drawing wherein: I particularly passenger vehicles, havetheir fuel Fig. l is a view showing a portion of the fuel tanks equippedwith rather long filler tubes. The tank and the filler inlet pipetherefor and illustank itself usually lies in a concealed position;trating the vent tube in position.

where the fuel tank is at the rear of a passenger Fig. 2 is an enlargeddetail of one end of the vehicle, the rear portion of the body and thevent tube showing the arrangement for receiving fenders for the rearwheels overlie and conceal the fuel and for holding the vent tube inposition. 10

the tank, and the filler tube extends from the Fig. 3 is an enlarged topplan view of the filler tank and usually has its inlet end extendingtube with the vent tube therein.

through or adjacent to some of the rear sheet Fig. 4 is an enlargedcross sectional view taken metal work, such as the rear portion of thebody substantially on line 44 of Fig. 1.

or a fender or the like. Some filler tubes extend Fig. 5 is an enlargedcross sectional view taken [5 through the sheet metal work; others areavailsubstantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 1. able through an openingprovided in the sheet Fig. 6 is a detailed cross sectional view showingmetal. These filler tubes are'not only quite long, an arrangement forpreventing the insertion of a due, at least partially, to the fact thatthe rear siphon tube. sheet metal is extended considerably to the rear Aportion of a fuel tank for an automotive 20 of the tank, but areprovided with various bends vehicle is illustrated at I and the fuelinlet tube or irregular shapes in order to be properly fitted isgenerally illustrated as comprising a tube 2 into position. separatefrom the tank but connected to a tubu- This has resulted in a diflicultyin filling the lar extension 3 by means of a flexible sleeve 4 fueltanks. The gasoline, which is the usual fuel, slipped over the tube 2and extension 3 and se- 25 is pumped into the tanks in a manner wellknown cured by clamps 5. This is the usual arrangeto most everyone, andthe rapid vaporization of ment on present day vehicles and provides fora the fuel results in trapping of the vapors within measure ofadjustment of and relative movethe tank. The trapped vapors may becomement of the filler tube 2 relative to the tank. The

slightly compressed, but in any event vaporizafiller tube 2 is shownherein in the form of a 30 tion continues, with the result that thevapors, in simple L-shape, but this is exemplary only, it order toescape, flow backwardly through the being understood that the fillertube may have filler tube. This causes the entering fuel to any desiredshape. The end of the filler tube splash back and some fuel is therebywasted and has an enlarged end 6 with an intermediate porthe fuelsplashed over the adjacent portions of tion of a flared nature providinga shoulder l. 35 the automobile. In addition to the waste of fuel Thetop of the tube has an inwardly extending and undesirable splashing ofthe fuel on the flange 8 with bayonet openings 8 for receiving thevehicle, time is lost because the gasoline cannotbe usual bayonet typecap, and the edges of the pumped into the tank so fast. flange 8 areturned down inside the tube and The present invention has, as itsprincipal obshaped appropriately as illustrated at III for 40 ject, theprovision of a device which may be accommodating the projecting arms orfingers ofv placed in the filler tube so as to define an inlet the cap.The cap is not shown, as it is well known passageway for the fuel and anoutlet venting how these caps are arranged, and the structure passagewayfor the fuel vapors, together with thus far described is exemplary ofthe usual filler what air is required to be vented. In accordance tubestructures. 45 with the present invention, this device takes the Thevent tube has a tubular portion l5 of a. form of a flexible tubepreferably made of metal flexible nature and advantageously made of a insuch a way that it is flexible and arranged to helically wound metalstrip as illustrated in Fig. 6. be secured in position at one end,preferably the The inner end may be provided with a suitable endadjacent the open end of the filler tube. Due sheet metal terminatingcollar IS. The other 50 to the fact that the device is made of flexibletubend is equipped with an arrangement for the reing, it may be readilyinserted into and adapts ception of the liquid fuel and for holding thevent itself to various shapes, of filler tubes, and due to tube inposition. This arrangement is advanthe non-rigid nature of the tube itwill lie in positageously somewhat of a conical or funnel shape tionwithin the filler tube without rattling or causand the particulararrangement shown is fash- 55 ioned from two sheet metal parts ofidentical formation, one being illustrated at I! and the other at 68,each having flanges IS. The two parts are placed in opposed relationshipwith the flanges abutting, as illustrated, and the flanges may be spotwelded together as illustrated at 2B. The inner ends of the two membersI! and I8 form a portion 2i, which is telescoped into the adjacent endof the flexible tube and the parts may be united by means of spotwelding, as illustrated at 22.

In the form shown, two spring members are attached to the funnelstructure in substantially diametrically opposite positions, and may besecured by spot welding, as shown at 21. Each spring member has anintermediate portion 23 for abutting against the funnel and an upper arm24 which extends upwardly and outwardly, and a lower arm 25 whichextends downwardly and outwardly, the extreme end of which may beflattened or placed in a plane substantially paralleling the axis of thefunnel, as illustrated at 26.

Within the flexible tube a device is preferably arranged to prevent theinsertion of a siphon tube. This device advantageously takes the form ofa wire of spring metal wound helically into somewhat of a conical shape,as illustrated at 30. The base diameter is preferably such that thelarge convolutions threadedly engage the interior of the flexible tube.This makes for an easy assembly.in the manufacture of the device, andthe large convolution preferably is slightly compressed so that itexpands outwardly, and frictionally grips the flexible tube withsufficient force to maintain the spring 30 in position.

The manner of installing the vent tube is very simple as the tube ismerely inserted into the filler tube and the spring arms 23 engage underthe flange 8. As shown in thedrawing herein the spring arms arepositioned substantially at from the openings 9. The flanges l9 and 26are shaped with a large diameter 3i and a smaller diameter 32 forrespectively fitting the two corresponding diameters of the portions 6and 2 of the filler tube. Also, the flanges have an intermediateshoulder 33 for fitting against the shoulder i. The inner end of thevent tube preferably extends to or slightly beyond the tank wall. Theportions 26 of the spring members also frictionally engage within therelatively smaller diameter of the portion 2 of the filler tube so thatthe funnel portion is nicely and accurately centered. The vent tubecannot normally be withdrawn. If the spring arms are lined up with theopenings in the filler tube then the flanges underlie the overturnedportions of the filler tube; if the flanges are lined up with theopenings in the top of the filler tube, then the springs underlie theflanges on the filler tube.

With this arrangement, the vent tube is securely held in place and whileit can be easily installed, it is very diflicult and time consuming toremove the vent tube. Therefore, from a practical standpoint the venttube not only serves as a vent, but serves as a lock for the fuel tankdue to the presence of the device 30 which prevents the insertion of asiphon tube. Accordingly, when one equips his vehicle with this device,the fuel tank is not only effectively locked but is provided with avent.

In use, the fuel enters the funnel portion, passes through the flexibletube and into the tank. The arrangement provides ample space around thetube for the flow of air and fuel vapors out of the tank. The flanges49, together with the spring members, hold the funnel portion centrallyof the filler tube to maintain the vent space 35. It has been found inpractice that while the vent tube is of smaller diameter than the fillertube, that it has adequate capacity for passing all the fuel pumped intothe tank, in view of the fact that there is no resistance or difficultymet with from a venting standpoint. As above mentioned where the fuel ispassed to the tank through the filler tube, the fuel vaporizes, whichvaporization is probably accentuated due to the agitation of the fuel.Even though the filler tube is of quite generous proportions, thevaporized gas will be trapped and will result in a splash back, wastingsome fuel and causing loss of time, etc.

I claim:

l. A vent tube for a crooked and rigid filler pipe of a fuel tank in anautomotive vehicle comprising and which flller pipe has an enlargedopen. end, a flexible metal tubular body, a funnel-like inlet devicecomprising two sheet metal stampings, each having oppositely disposedflanges, said stampings being disposed in opposing relationship with theflanges abutting each other and secured together, the small end of thefunnellike device being secured to one end of the tubular body, andspring means secured to the funnellike device and spacedcircumferentially from the flanges, the tubular-like body adapted tobepassed lengthwise into a flller tube and to lie freely thereinadapting itself to the shape of the flller pipe and the flanges andspring means being so formed and constructed as to engage the interlorsurfaces of the enlarged open end of the filler tube for securing thevent tube in position with the inlet device substantially centered inthe filler tube.

2. In combination with the filler pipe of a fuel tank in an automotivevehicle having an enlarged portion at its open end defined by a shoulderspaced from the extreme end and having a bayonet type extreme endstructure for the reception of a cap, of a vent tube comprising, aflexible metal body in the flller pipe, a sheet metal inlet devicecomprising two stampings with flanges disposed in opposed relationshipand with the flanges secured together, said inlet device being of funnelshape with the smaller end secured to the flexible tubular body, saidflanges having shoulders for resting upon the shoulder of the fillertube and portions for engaging the interior of the enlarged portion, andspring arms on the inlet device spaced circumferenti lly from theflanges and arranged to be moved past the bayonet structure on thefiller pipe and to underlie an overhanging part on the filler pipe andto engage the inner walls of the enlarged portion, said vent tube havingan outside diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the filler pipeand

